Newslinks for Saturday 6th August 2016

May mulls measures to soften Brexit blow

“The governor of the Bank of England made clear this week there was a limit to what monetary policy could do to cushion the blow of the Brexit vote. The government needed to act as well… Over to the government — and as Theresa May and her ministers consider what to do, they face two big questions: how can they support the economy in the short term? And, thinking further ahead, how can they maximise growth?” – FT

Matthew Parris: Referendums must be used with more care than Cameron offered

” I think we should now acknowledge and add to our unwritten constitution the device of the referendum: but we should do so always mindful of the violence it does to the spirit of our constitution, and with an almost sacred regard for the danger of its misuse. People were not asked a fair question on June 23, and they were not asked it with the right motives. But that does not mean they should not be asked.” – The Times (£)

Child abuse enquiry judge could receive up to £90,000 after quitting

“The chairman of the landmark child abuse inquiry could receive up to £90,000 in severance pay – despite quitting the job. Dame Lowell Goddard, who became the third head of the mammoth investigation to abandon it, was said to have been overwhelmed by the task. But she is understood to be in talks with the Home Office about the terms of her departure, which could include a pay-off totalling tens of thousands of pounds.” – Daily Mail

Charles Moore: As Goddard resigns, time to drop the curtain on this ill-starred inquiry

“The logic of everything that has happened is that the IICSA should now stop. It mixes too many things. Its rules are unfair, some contrary to proper legal procedures. Its remit is almost literally endless. Its unnecessary expense is huge. It is not, and cannot be, properly equipped to bring justice to thousands of individuals who feel wronged.” – Daily Telegraph

“Theresa May is set to ditch the “Northern Powerhouse” brand and push for a wider industrial strategy across England, the region’s leaders fear. They believe that she will abandon the ambitious project pioneered by George Osborne to boost economic development in Manchester and other northern cities. She will instead shift the focus to other rural and industrial areas, they claim.” – The Times (£)

My hope is that the May will kill celebrity politics – Peter Oborne, Daily Mail

Honours 1) May considers elected upper house

“Theresa May is considering a dramatic overhaul of the House of Lords after David Cameron packed it with more Tory cronies, The Sun can reveal. Insiders said the PM could finally reform the bloated upper chamber as part of a drive to “restore trust” in politics and create “a democracy that works for everyone”.” – The Sun

Honours 2) Chief Rabbi attacks Chakrabarti over peerage

“Giving Shami Chakrabarti a peerage leaves the credibility of her inquiry into anti-Semitism within the Labour Party ‘in tatters’, the Chief Rabbi said yesterday. Ephraim Mirvis criticised Jeremy Corbyn’s decision to nominate Miss Chakrabarti for the Lords just weeks after she produced a report which has been branded a whitewash.” – Daily Mail

Labour leadership contest veers further left

“For moderate Labour MPs, who initially hoped the contest would move the party back towards the centre, it has been a sobering experience. “My heart sort of sank,” said one, of his reaction to Mr Smith’s agenda. “But we recognise that, with the ‘selectorate’, you have to have a soft-left candidate.” – FT

Patients face having treatment rationed to meet NHS cuts – The Times (£)

And finally… MPs face drinking ban whilst Palace is repaired

“In an attempt to prevent the 19th-century Gothic building from disintegrating beyond repair, MPs will be relocated to the Department of Health offices in Whitehall while a multibillion-pound refurbishment begins in 2020… The decision is likely to cause dismay among many MPs because their new temporary home, Richmond House, is held under an Islamic bond scheme and forbids the sale of alcohol.” – The Times (£)

Please use the thread below to provide links to news topics likely to be of interest to ConservativeHome readers and to comment on political topics that haven’t been given their own blog. Read our comments policy.